8 things I love right now
the book that destroyed me, how I'm drinking more water, and my affordable fixation outfit
Before we dive into my current fixations, catch up on what you might have missed:
In case you missed it, the “check in” on Mondays is my evolution of #5SmartReads. I’m really enjoying writing them, and I hope you enjoy reading them.
Pretty goblets
I won’t lie, these goblets are the reason I’ve been drinking more water lately. One of these glasses fits an entire can of seltzer, and it forces me to go downstairs for a refill. I’ll pour myself a Ghia into this glass when I make dinner, which makes it feel a little more special. You likely have “nice glasses” you rarely use in your home - let this be your sign to take them out and start sipping from them every day.
Crash Into Me by Robinne Lee
This book destroyed me. It is pure art in its truest form, while talking about the creation and consumption of it (as well as love, desire, knowing and finding yourself, what it means to be an American (and Black in America), and so much more). It’s such an extraordinary book, and one of the best I’ve probably ever read.
This month’s workout plan
I don’t know what possessed me to choose Robin’s advanced strength split this month, but I chose violence (in the best way). It is TOUGH (I have to reduce my weight next week), and I feel incredible (especially mentally) after I finished each one. I’ve also been doing one of Marianna’s run + flow bootcamps each week, and they are the perfect complement to the strength workouts.
I’m a broken record about how much I love Cured’s Serenity gummies. Their Flow gummies have become a part of my afternoon routine. When I’m feeling the afternoon slump start to hit, I take two of these gummies and fire up the Supergirl soundtrack. This routine snaps me back into focus mode, and I’ve been wrapping up my to-do list with an hour to spare before I have to pick the kids up.
Code HITHA gets you 15% off your orderA random Threads post about One Fine Day (truly one of the best rom-coms that we don’t talk about enough) ignited my search for a fitted dinosaur tee that Michelle Pfeiffer rocked with her suit for a major pitch. I found this one, and have been wearing it every week with these pants (a near identical dupe for the Ruti ones). Do I need another pair of these pants. No. Will I end up getting another pair? Most definitely.
Littlebird.ai
I wish I knew about Littlebird before I started using Claude. It is the best entry level AI tool that acts as an executive assistant, with nearly zero setup. The platform does it all - email triage and draft responses, calendar management, meeting transcriber (far better than Granola or Fireflies), and project coordinator. It also syncs across multiple inboxes, calendars, and Google Drive accounts—something Claude lacks, and I need. It’s so good that I downgraded my Claude subscription to Pro from Max.
You can get 2 months free with my code PVH5W6DX.Time audit
Because Littlebird is constantly capturing my screen when I’m working, it put together an honest time log of what I was actually doing on my computer over the past few weeks. I uploaded the file to Claude (to the chat where I set up my Brick routine), and prompted it to ask me questions on how and why I was spending my computer time the way I was. After some back and forth, we created an Unstuck skill (and project) that I’ll run when I find myself scrolling and switching between Instagram, Threads, and Reddit. I used the skill to help me draft this Substack. It also helped me create some habit swaps to help me reset when I find myself slipping into a scroll.
Habit swaps that are actually working
These swaps work - I just need to do a better job of catching myself at the top of a scroll/putz session to practice them more efficiently.
Phoneless walks - I wrote about them here, but they’ve been incredibly restorative and a beautiful way to unplug. Literally.
Needlepoint - my needlepoint project is wherever I am (at my desk, sitting on the couch, even in the kitchen when I’m cooking dinner). When I find myself scrolling through the Reels tab on Instagram, I force myself to put it down and stitch at least 5 stitches. It really helps, and is helping me make a dent in my pile of untouched projects.
A chat - I’ll yap a voice note to a friend, or go downstairs and chat with my parents for a bit.
Your turn - tell me something you’re loving right now.
If you found this helpful, please consider:
tapping the ❤️ below (all engagement helps!)
tapping the 💬 and tell me something. anything!
sharing this with someone who might need it right now
Take care of yourself, the best you can.
xo,
HPN
Will you link to the goblets? :-)
I am leaning into bricking my phone and figuring out how to embroider while holding my 2 month old. I’m working up to 10k steps each day this month, and trying to think of little adventures and treats for my 5 and 2 yo to make summer even more magic!